MEPs achieved increases for the 2026 EU budget and secured funds for Horizon Europe, transport and energy networks, civil protection and agriculture. On Saturday morning, negotiators from the European Parliament and the Council reached a provisional agreement on the 2026 EU Budget, before the deadline of the conciliation period. Negotiators agreed to set the overall […]
President Costa to travel to Latin America for COP30 and EU-CELAC Summits
In early November, the President of the European Council, António Costa, will travel to Brazil to attend the COP30 Climate Summit and also to Colombia, where he will co-chair the fourth CELAC-EU summit and the EU-Caribbean leaders’ meeting. COP 30 – 6 and 7 November The UN COP30 Leaders’ Summit will be held in the […]
Joint press release: EU-Western Balkans Ministerial Forum on Justice and Home Affairs
The Ministers of Justice and Home Affairs of Denmark, representing the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, together with the European Commission, represented by the European Commissioner for Home Affairs, met on 30 October 2025 in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, with their counterparts from the Western Balkans at the annual EU-Western Balkans Ministerial […]
EU Leaders move forward on Ukraine, defence and competitiveness during European Council summit
President Ursula von der Leyen participated last October 23 in a summit of the European Council that focused on the EU’s support for Ukraine, Europe’s defence readiness for 2030, and on how to boost the continent’s economy while upholding the EU’s climate goals. The President presented the initiatives that the Commission has been working on over […]
19th package of sanctions against Russia: EU targets Russian energy, third-country banks and crypto providers
Thursday 23rd, the Council adopted a sweeping 19th package of further 69 individual listings and numerous economic restrictive measures targeting key sectors which fuel Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, including energy, finance and the military industrial complex. The Council is also strengthening control over the movement of Russian diplomats across the EU and taking further measures against those responsible for the abduction of […]
Council greenlights Switzerland’s association to EU programmes
On Tuesday 21th, the Council gave its green light to Switzerland joining Union programmes, such as Horizon Europe, Euratom Research and Training, ITER/Fusion for Energy (F4E), Digital Europe, Erasmus+, as well as EU4Health. Our partnership with Switzerland is longstanding and based on common values. In the current complex and evolving geopolitical context, our relationship needs to […]
Co-Chairs Conclusions on Strengthening Cross-Regional Security and Connectivity
Today the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission, Kaja Kallas, Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos, and Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jozef Síkela, met with representatives from EU Member States, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, the Republic of Moldova, Tajikistan, Türkiye, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan in Luxembourg for the Ministerial Meeting […]
EU Strategy for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific: Council approves conclusions
On Monday 20th, the Council approved conclusions on the implementation of the EU Strategy for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific stressing that the EU should further intensify its strategic focus, presence, visibility and actions in the Indo-Pacific with the aim of contributing to our joint stability, security, prosperity and sustainable development, underpinned by the promotion of democracy, […]
Council agrees its position on rules to phase out Russian gas imports under REPowerEU
The Council today agreed on its negotiating position on the draft regulation to phase out imports of Russian natural gas. The regulation constitutes a central element of the EU’s REPowerEU roadmap to end dependency on Russian energy, following Russia’s weaponisation of gas supplies and repeated disruptions of gas supplies to the EU with significant effects on the European […]